kitten care

Posh Persians

of Nefertiti

Kitten Care Guide

What to have before bringing your kitten home:

We Provide an optional ( for £ )- Kitten Starter pack
with all you need to get you started

* Foldable Cat carrier	* Double bowl (food/water)
* Cat bed	* Royal Canin Dry food Babycat
* Cat Brush	* Litter tray with a scoop
* Scratch Post	* Best Cat Litter pack
* Mini bag of toys	* Kitten Care Guide

Fresh Kitty Litter, We recommend “ Cat’s Best Oko Plus Litter”
it is natural, biodegradable, absorbs 3 times its volume & most importantly safe for kitten if swallowed. As often curious kittens tend to eat some of the clean litter.
Don't use crystal litter on kittens, but it is safe to use after 6-12 months as long as they are not playing & eating the litter crystals. Although Crystal litter is NOT toxic, it will absorb the contents of the digestive system causing upset stomach, the sharp edges of the crystal litter may injure the digestive system & possible other problems if swallowed.

Plastic Litter Tray/Pan and Litter Scooper, make sure litter pan is large enough for kitten to place all four paws in and turn around. IT SHOULD BE A LOW LEVEL LIP FOR KITTENS AND ALL LITTER BOXES SHOULD BE ABOUT 4 times bigger than the cat! Or they will not use it once soiled... small litter boxes can set cats up for failure!!!

Food and water dish

After 1 year of age, I recommend: Royal Canine Indoor 27 or 35.
if you intend to keep your cats indoors. This reduces the small by 50-60%

See table below for feeding according to the age (or click here)

A warm and cosy area for Kitten to sleep start with the TV room or where you spend most of your time, they like to be able to see their new parents, and as the Kitten becomes accustomed to your home you may choose another area. Kittens enjoy sleeping on a cozy cat bed, fluffy towel, or soft blanket.

Cat Scratcher will prevent your furniture damage.

Cat Play Canter and Cat Toys are key. Kittens love Catnip!!!

Wide-tooth metal comb & Soft metal teeth brush for grooming.
(Optional: The Furminator : removes loose cat hair)

Cat nail clippers (optional ) ( I use standard human nail clippers )

Kitten Shampoo or Baby Shampoo

Tips on how to Kitten-proof your home:

First thing to do is look around your entire home for anything the Kitten might get tangled up in, fall from, or ingest.

Make sure there are no open cabinets kitten may enter.

Make sure all rooms Kitten has access to have no open wiring or cords .

Make sure there are no high perches for kitten to fall from.

All vents should have a covering.

Make sure there is no food or beverages left in kitten area.

Make sure the floors do not have anything harmful that may hurt your Kitten’s paws.

If you have plants, keep them AWAY from your kitten’s reach. Some household plants can be harmful and/or poisonous to cats when ingested OR use plastic nets all round them.

Fold or tie up your window blinds’ cord to keep it out of kitten’s reach.

Keep your toilet seat cover down as a precaution.

Make sure all fragile valuables are kept out of Kitten’s reach.

Always keep dryer and washer doors CLOSED. Cats like to crawl into them to take a nap.

What to do once Kitten is home:

Introduce Kitten to his/her designated area with fresh food and water ready

Make sure to introduce/place Kitten in the litter box

If Kitten seems scared or cries out for Mommy; bring Kitten close to your chest so he/she can hear your heartbeat. This should help ease the transition and help you bond with your new Kitten better

Give Kitten a small treat such as a piece of boiled chicken or a cat treat to let Kitten know that you are his/her friend. Let your Kitten smell the treat first and then let him/her eat it.

What to always have available for your Kitten:

Bowl of fresh, cold water and fresh dry food. I Recommend a Water fountain.

I recommend having a full bowl of fresh food out all the time. Persian cats are very sensitive to smell and respond to the smell of fresh food. By always refilling the entire bowl with fresh food you are preventing your kitten from overeating and developing obesity. If your Kitten only sees a small amount of food available he/she will think that is all they have and may either overeat or not eat at all to save the food. If you are very busy and cannot always provide fresh food I recommend purchasing a feeder. A feeder allows you to always have food available for your kitten and keeps it fresh.
If there is still food left over in the bowl you can put the left over dry food back into the bag and mix it up with the fresh food. That way the bowl of food will always smell fresh to your Kitten!
Another convenient way to keep dry food fresh is by storing it in Tupperware or specialized sealed containers to keep them fresh.

Clean litter box. I use Scoopfree self cleaning litter robot tray.
I recommend cleaning the litter box daily to avoid any mistakes due to the box being full of waste.
Another way you can keep the litter box smelling fresh is by adding a little Baking Soda to the litter box. Or you can purchase Arm & Hammer’s Litter Box Spray. They both work well. Once the kitten is older, I recommend Bob Martin crystal litter with antibiotic, "Litter Pearls Wellness" or combination of both. After daily scooping, add a hand full at least, this will absorb quickly any bad smell.

Cat Scratcher or Cat Tree.
Cats have a natural instinct to climb and scratch. They need an outlet to use their nails and mark their scent. By providing them with their own scratcher/tree you are preventing them from using your furniture instead!

Plenty of cat toys with catnip. Give access to water, food and litter box close while your kittens is playing.

Do not keep all toys out at the same time because your Kitten will get bored of them. I keep some toys out at a time and rotate them with the other toys. This will keep your Kitten’s attention and make playtime more fun.

How to transition your Persian Kitten to a new dry food formula

Besides Royal Canin Babycat or Kitten other dry food:

The best brand of dry food for your Persian Kitten is Royal Canin Mother Babycat ,Previously known as: Royal Canin Babycat 34 Cat Food, was specially formulated for mothers and kittens

* Birth to 4 weeks	* Mother Breast Milk
* 1-4 months old	* Royal Canin Baby Cat
* 4-12 months	* Royal Canin Kitten 36 formula
* After 1 Year of age	* Royal Canin Indoor 35 or 27

How to groom your Persian Kitten:

Using a wide-toothed metal comb, make short strokes along the length of Kitten’s coat. The best way to undo tangles is by holding the knot from underneath and combing it out. Do not pull or tug on the knot
As hair gets longer you will need to comb your kitten more often. Persian Kittens have a double coat which requires grooming every other day. Himalayan Kitten’s have a single coat that can be groomed every few days.
During the warmer months you may choose to have your Kittens coat shaved into a “lion’s cut” by a groomer. All of the Kitten’s hair will be shaved off except the head and end of the tail.
Keep nails trim with a Cat nail clipper. Place Kitten a comfortable position on your lap. Push the soft pad on the bottom of his/her paw until nails retract out. Clip off only the very tip of the nail that is white. Avoid the “quick” which is the reddish/pink area of the nail closer to the paw. If you cut too deep into the quick you may cause bleeding to occur. If Kitten’s nail is bleeding apply pressure until bleeding stops. I recommend trimming every two weeks.
Kittens may sometimes get what I call “poopy butt.” This is when stool gets stuck to their hind areas and back legs after using the litter box. A good way to prevent “poopy butt” is by keeping hair around the anal area, back legs, and under the tail trim using BLUNT END scissors. If your Kitten still gets stool stuck then you may give him/ her a half bath from the waist down. Using warm running water wet the area, apply some shampoo to clean it off, rinse with warm water, and then dry with a towel.
Persians can have a “brachycephalic” head which means their skulls are short and broad giving them their distinguished “smooshed,” “flat,” or “extreme” faces. This causes their eye ducts to be short and have a tendency to become obstructed which leads to discharge or crusting around the eyes. The best way to maintain good eye hygiene is by using q-tips or a warm gauze. Start by placing the q-tip vertically at the inner corner of the eye. Then slowly and gently turn the q-tip to pick up the debris. Make sure not to touch the eye ball with the q-tip. For stubborn stains or discharge, wet the q-tip first with warm water.

How to bathe your Persian Kitten:

1. Fill up the bathroom or kitchen sink with warm water

2. Dip your Kitten into the water and get the entire coat wet. Do not dip Kitten’s head into the water. Also try to avoid getting any water in Kitten’s ears and eyes.

3. Take Kitten out of water and apply Shampoo to coat and lather up. Again make sure to be very careful around the eyes and ears.

4. Dip Kitten back into the water and rinse shampoo off thoroughly.

5. Cats need two or three shampoos & rinses! One is not enough

6. Drain the sink. You might need to use running water to rinse off any remaining shampoo.

7. Dry your Kitten off with a towel

How to bond with your new Kitten:

The best way I found to teach your Kitten his/her new name is by singing it…
Example: “Princess Gizmo! My Princess Gizmo!” or “Prince Baaboo… Fabulous Baaboo!”

When your Kitten says meow, say meow back. Your kitten is trying to talk to you and engage in conversation.

Persian Kittens love to have their chin, ears, and bellies rubbed. The more you pet and touch your Kitten the better.

The secret petting spot that all Persian Kittens love is where their back and top of tail meet. Try it! It’ll make your Kitten purr.

Give your Kitten treats such as little pieces of boiled chicken or cat treats

Engage in playtime with plenty of toys

A great way to keep toys fresh is by “marinating” them in a zip lock bag of catnip when not in use.

Kittens love laser pointers. Laser pointers are a great way to play with your Kitten without having to move!

Remember your Kitten needs his/her own space at times. Cats have what I call “Cattitude.” Sometimes you have to let them play by themselves, sleep uninterrupted, and allow them to come to you when they want to.

Introducing your new kitten to your own cats

When introducing a new kitten into a household already occupied by one or more cats, it is best to place the new kitten in a separate room for a few days with food, water, a litter box, and a scratching post. Ideally, the scratching post is the only surface that your kitten can scratch. Since conditioning of the claws (scratching) is normal behaviour for cats, it is important that your kitten learn what objects are acceptable to scratch.

Litter train your kitten right away by gently moving his or her two front paws in a digging motion in the box to trigger thoughts of voiding. This is probably all that will be necessary for litter training. The litter box should be cleaned daily and the entire contents replaced once or twice weekly.
STERILIZE BOX WHEN CHANGING WITH A WEAK SOLUTION OF BLEACH AND WATER> DRY WELL. Confining the kitten initially will allow your resident cats to become familiar with the kitten's odour and sounds. The older your resident cats are, the longer this adjustment period can take. One should supervise initial meetings by partially opening the door for interactions of several minutes (depending on progress), several times daily for a few days before allowing the new kitten free range of your home.
Once your new kitten is introduced to the entire home, a few strategically placed scratching posts can be very useful; make sure to place one where the kitten sleeps, because cats often condition their claws when they awaken. You may have to provide more litter boxes if one of your cats is reluctant to share a box. There should be one box per cat plus one extra one. more. Your kitten needs stimulation to allow normal development of play and social behaviour. If you already have other cats, or if you adopt two kittens, this important need should be met.
If the kitten has no playmates, however, provide toys and allow time every day to play with your kitten. He or she needs this attention, especially during the first 6 months of life. Social play instinct develops from weeks 4 to 11, and then declines. There is a marked increase in predatory play behaviour at 8 weeks. Social play persists into adulthood, so continue to provide your cat with toys as it grows up.
While bringing home a new kitten or cat is exciting, it's very stressful for the animal. Change is traumatic for cats, so you don't want to bring your kitten home when your house is crowded and noisy, or show it off to your friends and family as soon as it arrives.

Follow these steps when welcoming a new cat or kitten into your home.

If possible, introduce your kitten to its new home when the house is quiet, perhaps when the children are at school.

Prepare a room for the kitten before its arrival. Make sure the room is quiet and kitten-proof. Put its food, water, scratching post and litter box in the room. Make sure the kitten has something soft to sleep on.

Don't take the kitten out of its carrier until it's in its own room. Shut the door to the room and open the carrier. Don't worry if the kitten hides. Talk to it softly. Never pull a kitten out from under the furniture. (No kitten has ever lived its entire life under a bed. Your kitten will come out when it's ready.)

Enter the room every few hours to clean the litter and check on the kitten. Otherwise, leave the kitten alone.

If the kitten seems to want attention, spend some time with the kitten. Talk softly and be gentle with the kitten. Encourage children to do the same.

When the kitten is no longer hiding and seems comfortable, let it out of the room. Make sure the house is quiet when you do this. Don't be surprised if your kitten takes a quick look around and retreats to its room. Repeat this process for several days.

Once the kitten seems secure in its new home, you can leave the door to its room open. However, it's a good idea to confine the kitten to its room whenever you're not at home.

Easing The Transition

Introduce your cat to your home gradually by following these helpful hints:

For the first day or two, keep your kitten confined to one room with a litter box, food and water. Let her become comfortable in this room before introducing her to the rest of the house.

After your new kitten is relaxed and acclimated, allow her to explore and roam the rest of the house.

　

Children in the household

Show your children how to properly pick up a kitten and how to play with their new pet. Teach them that cats don't like to be teased or have their ears or tail pulled. Always supervise your children's interaction with your new kitten, especially when they have friends over to play.

Other pets

Keep your kitten confined to one room of the house for the first few days, giving your other pet(s) a chance to grow accustomed to her smell. Make the first introduction short and sweet, removing the kitten after a few minutes. Most pets will work things out in their own way, which may take about a week. If your pets are having more difficulty adjusting, supervise their time together and be patient. Offer both pets a place to go when they want to be alone.
Introducing a new kitten to an older animal can be very stressful on the older animal. Lavish most of your attention on the older animal, not the kitten, making sure that the old-timer doesn't feel threatened by the newcomer.
Before you introduce a new kitten to the household, be sure she (as well as your resident pets) is disease-free and has been recently checked by your veterinarian. Older, settled-in pets may resist sharing their domain, and it may take a month or more before your new kitten is an accepted member of the family.

Follow these steps for smooth introductions:

Step 1: Put your new kitten in a separate room away from other pets for the first day or two, and leave her travel crate open in the room. The familiarity of the crate may make it a safe haven. (Resident pets will become aware of her presence from her scent.) If you have another cat, he may prowl around the doorway and show signs of aggression.
During this period, spend extra time with your resident pet to relieve any anxiety and minimize tension. Confine him to his favourite part of the house while the new kitten is allowed brief journeys out to explore your home. When your new kitten seems comfortable, allow the animals to start viewing each other.

Step 2: Allow your pets to meet. Stay in the room while they get acquainted. Let them sniff out each other’s space and one another. Make sure each pet has an easy escape route in case one or the other wants to leave. Some hissing or growling is to be expected. Tips for successful pet introductions

If one cat shows hostility toward another during the initial introductions, don't punish him; that action could backfire. Instead, start the whole process over again after separating the animals for a day or two

Respect each pet's territorial rights. If your older cat has claimed the living-room sofa as her favourite spot, allow her to keep that space as her own domain. Help your new kitten find a different spot she can call her own.

Establish separate but equal relationships with each pet to prevent jealousy.

If you have a dog, keep him on a leash at first, and monitor him closely. In the beginning, don't let him chase or bother your new kitten, and don't make your kitten remain in the same room with the dog if she's uncomfortable or scared.

Buy separate food bowels & try not to allow access of cats food to your dogs & vice versa.

If you have any question, we are here to help.

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